The Howling (1981)

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Gary Brandner (novel), John Sayles (screenplay)

Stars:

Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dee Wallace	...	Karen White
Patrick Macnee	...	Dr. George Waggner
Dennis Dugan	...	Chris Halloran
Christopher Stone	...	R. William 'Bill' Neill
Belinda Balaski	...	Terry Fisher
Kevin McCarthy	...	Fred Francis
John Carradine	...	Erle Kenton
Slim Pickens	...	Sam Newfield
Elisabeth Brooks	...	Marsha Quist
Robert Picardo	...	Eddie Quist
Margie Impert	...	Donna
Noble Willingham	...	Charlie Barton
James Murtaugh	...	Jerry Warren
James MacKrell	...	Lew Landers (as Jim McKrell)
Kenneth Tobey	...	Older Cop

Storyline

In a red light district, newswoman Karen White is bugged by the police, investigating serial killer Eddie Quist, who has been molesting her through phone calls. After police officers find them in a peep-show cabin and shoot Eddie, Karen becomes emotionally disturbed and loses her memory. Hoping to conquer her inner demons, she heads for the Colony, a secluded retreat where the creepy residents are rather too eager to make her feel at home. There also seems to be a bizarre connection between Eddie Quist and this supposedly safe haven. And when, after nights of being tormented by unearthly cries, Karen ventures into the forest and makes a terrifying discovery.

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | forest | female full frontal nudity | outdoor sex | monster | 

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Taglines:

They're out there - and you're in the middle of your worst nightmare...

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aullidos

Filming Locations:

Westlake Village, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$17,986,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Pictures, International Film Investors, Wescom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, Sam Newfield (Slim Pickens) is seen eating from a can of "Wolf" brand chili.

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Goofs

When Marsha makes the scratches on Bill's back, his back smooth and hair free. Yet the shot before showing them turning into werewolves, they were both covered with hair.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. George Waggner: Repression. Repression is the father of neurosis, of self-hatred. Now, stress results when we fight against our impulses. We've all heard people talk about animal magnetism, the natural man. the noble savage, as if we'd lost something valuable in our long evolution into civilized human beings. Now there's a good reason for this.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits roll over TV static and features dialogue snippets from the movie.

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Alternate Versions

In the French video version (TF1) The scene where "Eddie" rips a bullet out of his forehead just before turning into a werewolf is missing. The theater version was uncut though.

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Connections

References Werewolf of London (1935)

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Soundtracks

Something Nasty in the Woods
(uncredited)
Composed by Pino Donaggio
Conducted by Natale Massara

User Reviews

Intense & cheeky lycanthropy

THE HOWLING (1981) *** Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, Patric Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, Slim Pickens, John Carradine, Dick Miller. Tongue-in-cheek humor (thanks to John Sayles' shrewd script) and state-of-the-art make-up effects, by wizard Rob Bottin (incidentally, prodigy of make-up wiz Rick Baker, whose stellar work was the first recipient of an Academy Award for Best Make-Up for `An American Werewolf in London', which was released the same year and tended to overshadow this film's appeal) blend perfectly in director Joe Dante's valentine to B-horror films with some B-horror vets (Carradine & Miller) set in a cult-like spa where recovering from a breakdown, newscaster Wallace, finds herself hip-deep in werewolves(!) The aforementioned make-up is the real star here with some truly nasty `changing' sequences, that are still unsettling to watch. Atmospherically perfect for a full moon viewing!